Windows: Among the screen capture and encoding tools, Microsoft's name probably doesn't come up. Too bad, because their Expression Encoder offers a free, high-resolution screen capture tool that works great for how-to recordings, demonstrations, and other desktop video capture needs.

Expression Encoder, which offers a free "Standard Version" and paid Pro versions, is ostensibly a tool made to make encoding to Microsoft's Silverlight format (which powers Netflix streaming) easier. But Expression Encoder includes a separate but connected screen capture tool that's really handy. Capture a single window or outline an area you want to grab, or set the window to a custom pixel size if you're trying to match a certain video target. You've got easy options for cursors, audio capture, voiceover, and editing, all built in.

Here's a quick, if not all that active, screencast I created in just two minutes with Expression Encoder:

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Whereas the folks at the Digital Inspiration blog, through which we found this tool, spent a little more time under the virtual camera:

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The catch? "Standard" Expression Encoder limits your screencast to 10 minutes, and the output is only in Windows Media formats. But the videos come out in 1080p high-def, they're entirely YouTube-ready, and most screencasts are decidedly less than 10 minutes. The other catch is that the app requires Microsoft's .NET 4.0 platform or higher installed, but that's a pretty common catch with Microsoft products these days.